Campaign visit touched current, former IU community

As President George W. Bush entered the Murat Centre, both protesters and supporters were visible outside the facility. Eight members of IU College Republicans came with posters reading "IU College Republicans love Bush" and a life-size cardboard cut-out of the president.\n"Our goal was just to welcome him to the community and let him know there are supporters," said Dave White, IUCR's political director, who coordinated the trip.\nWhite said protesters challenged them with remarks, but the group didn't answer back.\n"That's not what we were there for," he said.\nIUCR Chairman Shane Kennedy, a junior business major, volunteered at the event at the last minute. He rushed to Indianapolis after a 10 a.m. business presentation and took on ushering duties at the fundraiser. He got to participate in the $1,000-per-plate luncheon and shake the president's hand after the speech. Kennedy served in the Army on the border of Turkey and Iraq at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom and said Bush's comments on the war touched him the most.\n"I was honored to be in the presence of the president of the United States," he said. "It was probably one of the coolest things I've ever experienced."\nBefore he arrived at the Murat Centre to speak at Rep. Mike Sodrel's re-election campaign fundraiser, Bush recognized the former adviser of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity's IU chapter. The moment he stepped off Air Force One, Bush presented the President's Volunteer Service Award to Marvin Bardo in recognition of the more than 100 hours Bardo has spent serving the Indianapolis community. Bardo served IU's chapter from 1999 to 2003 and also co-founded the Kappa league, an extension of the local fraternity chapter that serves as a mentoring program for high school males, stresses post-secondary education and encourages students to be community leaders, according to a press release from the White House. \nBardo graduated from the University of Southern Illinois and now works for the Indiana State Department of Health. He said he was excited and honored to be receiving the award.\n"I'm overjoyed," he said in a phone interview Friday. "It feels good to be recognized for something you don't expect to be recognized for"